Friends get together

By Allan Yap & Nigel A. Skelchy

"hi all, i am too lazy to use the events function, (actually dunno how), and also since i myself never check it, ....

anyway, thursday night, 17th april, free or not? its been awhile, and it would be nice to ketchup with everyone. simple dinner at my place, hopefully followed by board games."

And so, FBB set the ball rolling for another of his famous get-togethers.

After rushing back home for a quick shower from a wedding rehearsal, I rushed over to FBB's place. Allan had already taken our offerings, such as they were, with him to dinner and I was to meet him there.



Stepping in to the dining room was like slipping on a comfortable pair of slippers that make you feel at peace and happy. Everyone turned around and greeted me warmly. Being 30 minutes late, I was grateful that everyone had started on dinner. Or what FBB was calling starters.

A gorgeous side of lamb, warm flour tortillas and a heaping amount of tabouleh graced the long table. Along with a mouth watering cheese platter populated with Havarti, dried apricots, a blue cheese, and another full fat cheese. A platter of rich lamb sat alongside the tabouleh and begged to be rolled together into a Mexican/Middle Eastern Poh Piah. The tangy, textured, tabouleh was a wonderful contrast to the rich, almost gamy lamb.


Just as I started to tuck in, FBB enthusiastically reminds us that there's lots more food coming out. Inwardly, I groan. My will to eat moderately is crumbling.

Being raucously loud and deliberately misunderstanding statements added to a bawdy evening of laughter and fun.

With so many food bloggers in attendance, the cameras were out in force and an edict issued by Allan to hurry up and take the pictures "so we can eat" was quickly obeyed. No doubt spurred by growling stomachs.
Then, the dishes start to make their appearance. A gorgeous chinese roast pork, which is listed on a menu (yes, a menu) along with fried water convulvulus. I remark that the word itself is rather suspect. I am paraphrasing of course. Who can remember verbatim what was said that night! ;-)

Rice steamed with coconut gravy (Nasi Lemak) and it's attendant fixings is next. The sambal is fiery, the omelette nice and dry (no French Omelette this) and the peanuts add an earthy crunch. The parkia speciosa or stink bean (Petai to you and me) fried with sambal and eggplant had that particular bitter methane flavour and yet, the eggplant's texture was coherent and did not fall apart into a paste which indicates a level of skill in knowing how to cook this fruit. Yes, fruit. The eggplant is a relative of the nightshade family which includes the potato, the tomato and the deadly nightshade plant. Amazing what we eat isn't it?

For whatever reason, dessert is always ooh-aahed about. I think it's all burned into our consciousness about how calorific desserts are and when they come out they're almost a guilty pleasure so almost always, there's a sussuration around the room when they make their appearance. This gorgeous Strawberry and Nangka Pavlova was FBB's contribution. I thought that the combination of Strawberry and Nangka was a stroke of genius. That honeyed fragrance of the jackfruit combined with the tartness of the strawberries and the cream elevated this Pavlova to a whole new level. FBB was quick to point out that Lyrical Lemongrass helped in finishing this sweet. Why he did this is certainly up to conjecture. >;-)


There was also a lovely trad Tiramisu, layered with lots of creamy mascarpone and sponge fingers. To accompany it was a bottle of Frangelico. Yum!


Allan and I brought some Profiteroles and some dried meringue shells (vacherin) which we filled with Mango. Wanting to give it another dimension I asked FBB if he had Basil to which he replied he had some Thai Basil but not Sweet Basil. Always wanting to try something new, I thought why not? It worked quite well. The minty, herbaceous flavour combined very well with the sweet mango to create an interesting dessert with lots of flavour and texture.

After everyone had left, with FBB bemoaning the fact of how young people these days just did not have the stamina that we once did, LL, RR, KM, Allan and myself, and of course, our host continued our session even though we had work the next day. All of a sudden, Allan get's up, picks up this huge bag and whips out some crepe paper. Very soon, LL and RR were deftly cutting up the paper to form pomanders that we were using to hang for decor at an upcoming wedding.



It is with gratitude to FBB that I wrap up this post. Thank you very much for the invite and for the effort in putting this together. It's always a joy to see friends again and it's always a special honour when we get to break bread together and be able to share the spirit of the moment with people you enjoy. After all, isn't that what "breaking bread" is all about?

Other floggers and bloggers who wrote about this evening;

Paprika
Kenny Mah

Dinner with Yuen Mun at Blessing's Homestay

By Allan Yap & Nigel A. Skelchy

We walk in to a house which has obviously borrowed Balinese elements with pebble wash driveways and railway sleepers embedded in white rocks. What were bathtubs are now tubs filled with water flowers, duck weed, water lillies. As you walk in to the reception area you're greeted with a cork board on the left strewn with notices and newspaper clippings. Flyers on the counter top amidst all the paper proclaim this to be "Blessing's Homestay."


As you walk further in, the house itself opens up into a dining cum gathering room which is strewn with paraphernalia of a whimsical collector. You feel a breeze blowing into your hair, or scalp, as the case may be, and you look up and out of a massive skylight which we learn later, is manually closed by a pulley and rope system.

Directly beneath her skylight is a pond with Japanese carp in it and a waterfall which adds to the serenity of the place with the plashing of water.
Dotted everywhere are lightly fanciful collectors items like this bird house chime hanging from wooden twigs.
1950s posters celebrating Sanatogen or "bedak sejuk" adorn the feature walls of burnt orange and antique lamps like the one below hang from the rafters. Yuen Mun proudly tells us that many of these items are cast offs and the lamp in particular is an Italian classic. The detailing is amazing and if you click on the pic, you'll see a gnome holding an anchor being blown by a wind elemental.
There are display cabinets against walls carrying some beautiful items of porcelain like the one below. And while Yuen Mun quickly exclaims that they're not originals, it doesn't detract from their aesthetic value.

Of some of the bric a brac around the house, a couple of large glass jars with copper lids seem to be Yuen Mun's proudest collectibles. Measuring almost 60 cm tall they were used for biscuits and dried goods in old chinese coffee shops.
The house is obviously a palate for her to sculpt and mold. She walked us through her master bedroom which she shares with her niece and with all the books and collectibles it reminded me of my speech and drama teacher who used to live in the Majestic Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, minus the dust motes. It was eclectic like this. Open air bathrooms juxtaposed with collectibles like old Nyonya porcelain. Old Italian lamps shine on modern wood floors.

John drags us back into the wet kitchen and very quickly introduces us to Yuen Mun who is obviously not ready to receive visitors as she graciously makes an apology and returns to cooking for her guests. A little while later she plonks these 2 items on the table with a satisfied grin, wipes her brow and eagerly invites us to tuck in. The Watercress and Mango salad is divine. Sweet chunks of mango readily combine with the spicy, bitter, nutty watercress to make a flavourful salad. The Chinese boil "Sai Yeong Choy" (watercress) with red dates and rock sugar as a tonic for coughs.

The "sui kow" or dumplings in soup were tender, pork and prawn morsels offered with a spicy sambal belacan which is as Malaysian a combination as they come. The Chinese would eat theirs with soya sauce or chilli oil.
Then the vegetable dish was a plate of "ulam" or a Malaysian style salad which accompanied, instead of a sambal, a fish pate made of cincaru or small mackerel. Absolutely heavenly!
The tomato rice, fluffy, slightly sweet and zingy from tomatoes accompanied a fantastic baked chicken dish which had two variants. One was served with a Chicken liver paté and the other was paté - free.


All in all a memorable evening of good fun, good company and of course, it took place around great food.

Celine Dion

By Allan Yap & Nigel A. Skelchy

Also posted on Notesfromvenus.com


Peals of thunder rolled in the heavens. The humidity was stifling. The heavens seemed to be closing in on us mere mortals on earth. Lightning flashed! Then the first few drops fell flat like water baloon bombs hitting concrete walls.

"Aiyo. Habis lah, the concert tonight." Little did we know that at the very same moment, in her comfortable luxurious suite, Celine Dion was having the same thought, as we found out later. Perhaps in French. I can imagine a demure "Merde" crossing her mind. Our Singaporean neighbours must have been gleeful as well as the reporting in Singapore, just a week earlier, was of the sour grapes variety that she had given the city state a miss. If I recall correctly, the title of the article was "Celine gives Singapore a miss" and went on to describe how citizens of the city state said it was "too far" to travel to KL for a concert.

In the event, when 6pm rolled around (the agreed upon pick up time for our family) the rain had stopped, the breeze was Fraser's Hill cool and there was an almost crispness in the air. The sky was sky blue of the vivid kind that had you thinking God had just washed his car and the dust had all fallen on the wayside. As we drove up through the traffic surrounding Stadium Merdeka, there was already a queue leading halfway around the block.

We were blessed. Parking was a doddle as we had the use of a carpark just around the corner and when we walked back up to the stadium to meet the others we found that the massvie queue was for one of the Gates. A gate right next to it was inexplicably short on people and it was an entrance to exactly the same stalls as the gate with the huge queue. Someone up above really did smile on us.

We laid out our old newspapers on the concrete bleachers and sat down with a cool, balmy breeze blowing in the gloaming. Stadium Merdeka had been restored and it was lovely to sit there and reminisce about the old place. The place where Tunku had uttered "Merdeka" 7 times and that had been, to all intents and purposes, the beginning of our country. I couldn't help but feel an electric shiver down my spine as I looked around.

Allan's Aunts and his Mum started to tell us about the time they had run on the tracks as part of their stint as national athletes. And also played hockey with the current Sultan of Pahang when he was the then Agung. How they had showed "no mercy" but very politely apologised "Sorry Tuanku" every time they tackled him.

The light began to fall. Blue turned to yellows, greens, purples and reds as the sun took it's nightly chariot ride down into the west.

At about 8pm, some lively sorts up in the bleachers above us, decided to liven the crowd up by starting "The Wave."

The first ended in a hiccough just beyond the starting point. The second failed just a touch later. The third was interrupted by a huge gap behind the scaffolding housing the lights and video equipment. No one was sitting there. So the people beyond somehow didn't realise that they should pick it up. The fourth attempt was an almost clincher. But the fifth; the fifth went right around the bleachers. A sea of flailing arms and bodies rose from their seats in an undulating crest signalled a successful "wave." And all it took were 3 girls to begin this. Is there a lesson in there somewhere? ;-)

Eventually, it took on a life of it's own. Going from the bleachers down to the stalls on the grass field where the more expensive ticket holders were seated and back again. In that way, the crowd kept themselves occupied and added to the fervour and energy of the moment until our Tuanku, the Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di Pertuan Agung and his Permaisuri, arrived at close to 9pm.

We had been there for nigh on 2 and a half hours.

A flick of the switch extinguished all the lights, plunging the stadium into darkness, and after an enthusiastic welcome by Yasmin Yusoff, Celine glittered onto the stage.

The huge video screens were fantastic. From where we were sitting I could measure Celine to be as tall as the gap between my pointer finger and my opposable thumb. We had brought "opera" glasses but while they served to tell us that the gorgeous dress was made of sequins, we couldn't really make out her features. But trained on the video screens, she leapt out as large as life. We made good use of them especially when the dancers came on; that was as much a spectacle as Celine was.

She opened with I Drove All Night and segued into Power of Love. By this time you knew she meant business. Ms Dion obviously enjoys being on stage.

She greeted Their Highnesses, the King and Queen, and yelled Terima Kasih to the crowd and then launched into a short apology for having postponed the concert. She mentioned that she had been worried about the rain but that now we were sitting under a beautiful moon. Something I think many of the audience, myself included, noticed for the first time. The crowd was putty in her hands and her's for the rest of the evening.

And she played us like a pro.

From songs in her repertoire that had us boogeying, to songs that made us sway, she played us like a string instrument, which, if you've noticed, is what she does with her right hand as she emotes the song. From Because You Loved Me, All By Myself, Alone and her number one hit of her "French career," Pour Que Tu M’Aimes Encore.

Accompanied by 3 backing singers and 8 dancers who framed her singing and performance, Celine Dion came close to "rocking" Kuala Lumpur. Only close, as she is an anthemic performer and not a rocker chick! Make no mistake though; she is versatile enough to perform jazz, blues, and rock more than passably. She paid tribute to Queen and also sang We Will Rock You which brought with it a sense of deja vu for us.

But her forte is definitely and defiantly soaring, love anthems.

After a short one and half hours, and minimal fidgeting due to ignorance of her less well known songs, she made us work for her second encore, the theme song from the movie, Titanic, My Heart Will Go On. The crowd went wild as she came out in a long flowing light coloured gown and belted out the monster hit. Screeching along became all too familiar until with regret, we said good night and prepared to follow the crowd, lemming like, out through the turnstiles.

"We Will Rock You"

By Allan Yap & Nigel A. Skelchy

Also found in notesfromvenus.com

"I have dreams you see. And I hear noises, screeching, thudding, b-banging noises. And words, words drop into my head, too many words. Help! I need somebody. Help! Not just anybody...I am the Walrus. This is Major Tom to Ground Control. Do you hear the drums Fernando? I am - the Dancing Queen! I mean what the Hell is a Tambourine Man? What's the story morning glory? Who was The Real Slim Shady? It's torture, and all I know, and I don't know why I know it, is that I really really really want to Zig-a-Zig Ah."

So speaks Galileo Figaro aka Shagileo aka The Dreamer (Mig Ayesa of "Rockstar; INXS" fame) in the touring production of "We Will Rock You" a musical based loosely on the music of Queen and Freddie Mercury. Shades of "Mamma Mia?" As alike as Chalk and Cheese.

The year is 2350 and Galileo aka The Dreamer and Scaramouche (Sivan Raphaely) are misfits amongst the Boyzone Boys and Ga Ga Girls. Galileo dreams of these lyrics which are illegal as all live music and instruments have been banned. One day, Galileo and Scaramouche meet and go off to save the world from Computer Recorded Anodyne Pop or CRAP, the prescribed music promulgated by the conglomerate Globalsoft, headed by the Killer Queen.

4 of us take a leisurely drive down to Singapore for a fun weekend of eating (more of that in upcoming posts) and watching this musical. What's not to like, we thought. Queen music, a frothy musical, and we'll be back home before anyone realises we've gone.

There we were walking into the theatre preparing to enjoy ourselves when WHAM...we're rockin' OUT! Singing along to all the more familiar Queen tunes, screeching falsetto notes, it becames, especially towards the end, more like a Rock Concert.

The cast had interspersed the dialogue with local humour and generally, provided a high energy performance worthy of Queen's music.

The fact that it had Brian May's and Roger Taylor's imprimatur made it seem even more authentic and served to remind and reintroduce Queen and the über-genius, Freddie Mercury to a new audience. When I got home, I quickly pulled out all my Queen CDs and started listening to them all over again with a new ear and Freddie doesn't dim with age. If anything, his talent shines through more than ever in this day of American Idol and manufactured bands.

Rock on!

"We Will Rock You"

Playing at the Esplanade till 27 April 2008